Dystonia Research

University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders & Neurorestoration investigates treatments for and causes of dystonia and other movement disorders. Our multidisciplinary approach brings together top researchers from multiple fields.

Clinical trials look into the safety and efficacy of a drug in improving symptoms or slowing/stopping/reversing the progression of a disease. Most drugs tested in clinical trials are not yet available in drug stores while some studies involve medications that are already available. Neuroprotective drugs may provide great benefit to those with dystonia and other movement disorders.

Drs. Foote and Okun implant Deep Brain Stimulators that can change the rates and patterns of activity in one of many targets including the major target for dystonia – globus pallidus – and other regions.

With permission from patients, the UFCMDNR tracks the progress of their treatment measured with several scales covering motor and non-motor areas. That information is entered into a central database that is used to find patterns in the data and find patients that meet certain criteria for studies.

Researchers at the University of Florida’s Department of Neurosurgery and the Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Biology Lab have developed a three-dimensional atlas of the brain structures targeted in movement disorders surgeries. Basal ganglia structures such as subthalamic nucleus(STN), globus pallidus interna (GPi), and ventralis intermedius nucleus (Vim) are primary targets for deep brain stimulation surgeries and lesion surgeries.